The Sour Prospect before us, or the Ins throwing up, William Dent, 1789

Ministers, seven isolated figures, vomit copiously at the prospect of being turned out. They are (left to right) lord chatham, first lord of the admiralty, vomiting an anchor; the marquis of stafford, lord privy seal, vomiting a zebra, inscribed 'privy seal'; the zebra or 'queen's ass' (cf. Bmsat 7488, &c. ) here probably indicates special attachment to the queen. Lord camden, lord president of the privy council, emits a paper inscribed 'precedency'. He moved (11 dec. ) for a committee to report on precedents relating to the regency, wraxall, 'memoirs', 1884, v. 213; 'parl. Hist. ' xxvii. 667. Richmond, master of the ordnance, emits a cannon and balls (cf. Bmsat 6921, &c). Lord sydney, secretary of state, emits a sealed letter inscribed 'secretaryship'. Thurlow vomits the great seal in its bag, pitt a key, probably that of the treasury, as in bmsat 6378. C. End january 1789 etching. Date: 1789. Dimensions: Height: 111 mm; Width: 404 mm (trimmed). Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden. Collection: British Museum. The Sour Prospect before us, or the Ins throwing up (BM 1868,0808.5842)